Just as The Desert series main character Lena Jones, Betty Webb lives in the “Grand Canyon State,” Arizona, where she currently teaches writing.
Once a journalist and now a prize-winning novelist, Betty Webb has created her own distinctive recipe when it comes to her writing.
She's managed to intertwine the horrors of true crime with the reality of political corruption and how it affects human rights.
Her novels were even dubbed “mysteries with a social conscience” by Publishers Weekly. Many of them have been inspired by real cases she’s covered as a reporter before retiring.
As previously mentioned, Webb currently lives in Arizona which is where the stage is set for private investigator, Lena Jones, in the popular Desert series.
Lena's relentless pursuit of the truth and justice, despite her own troubled past, will be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as she faces plot twists, love, and harsh realities.
Whether you’re familiar with the series or not, if you love gripping mysteries with complex characters and intricate plots, the Lena Jones series is a must-read! Here are the ten Desert books in order:
Desert Noir
At age four, Lena Jones was found unconscious on an Arizona highway, her memories erased by a bullet. Now a private detective and survivor of numerous foster homes, Lena is determined to uncover her past.
Her search is derailed when her friend, art dealer Clarice Kobe, is brutally murdered in her Scottsdale gallery. Lena and her Pima Indian partner, Jimmy Sisiwan, initially suspect Clarice’s abusive husband.
However, they soon discover that Clarice had many enemies, including an Apache artist whose work she banned and the daughter of a woman who died due to Clarice’s greed.
Even Clarice's wealthy parents seem indifferent to her death. Lena's investigation into Clarice's murder brings new dangers, but also inches her closer to unraveling her own history.
Desert Wives
Polygamy can be murder!
Private detective Lena Jones discovers this when she helps thirteen-year-old Rebecca escape from the Purity compound on the Utah-Arizona border.
After Rebecca's mother is arrested for murdering Prophet Solomon Royal, Rebecca's intended husband, Lena goes undercover as a polygamist wife to find the real killer. She uncovers a deadly secret that the cult's leaders will kill to protect.
During her investigation, Lena also revisits her own past. Found unconscious with a bullet wound at age four, Lena has no memory of her parents or real name, having been raised in foster homes.
As she delves into Purity's dark secrets, Lena is forced to confront the fragmented memories of her own mother— the woman who shot her.
Desert Shadows
When Scottsdale publisher Gloriana Allerton is poisoned and a Pima Indian friend is accused, private detective Lena Jones dives into the dark world of racist publishing. Her investigation brings her into contact with extremist politicians and fascist groups, making her a target for murder.
A pivotal moment occurs when Lena meets an Aryan Brotherhood leader in prison. There, a Black trustee with green eyes recognizes her and calls her by her mother's name.
Found shot in the head at age four and raised in abusive foster homes, Lena has no memory of her past. Now, with a potential answer before her, she realizes the truth might cost her life.
Desert Run
Scottsdale private eye Lena Jones faces tough times. Her partner, Jimmy Siswan, is leaving for a new life, and her old police captain is moving back to Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, she's providing security for Warren Quinn, who’s filming a documentary in Papago Park about the 1944 German POW “great escape” on Christmas Eve. When one of the surviving escapees, Erik Ernst, is murdered, Lena is asked by his caregiver to find the real killer.
As Lena investigates, she uncovers connections between Ernst and a 1944 massacre of the Bollinger family on Christmas night. The sole survivor, Chess Bollinger, might hold crucial information.
Amidst this, Lena grapples with trust issues concerning Quinn, who’s her client, and potential lover.
Desert Cut
While scouting locations for a documentary on Arizona's Apache Wars, private investigator Lena Jones and director Warren Quinn discover the mutilated body of a young girl.
This brutal murder brings back painful memories of Lena's own troubled childhood. Clashing with local authorities, Lena's investigation reveals that the seemingly idyllic town of Los Perdidos hides dark secrets.
Founded by descendants of pioneers who fought Geronimo, the town is now a hotbed of tension, with residents arming themselves against illegal immigrants.
As more girls go missing, Lena uncovers a sinister force and a chain of horrific crimes affecting girls and women worldwide.
Desert Lost
While on stakeout, Scottsdale private investigator Lena Jones discovers the body of a woman linked to the polygamist cult Second Zion.
Lena, familiar with the dark world of polygamy from previous undercover work, fears the sect's influence is spreading into Scottsdale.
Teaming up with an escaped "sister-wife" who knew the victim, Lena aims to help the woman's son, Jonah, a "lost boy" discarded by the cult.
Lena believes Jonah is innocent of his mother's murder and sets out to uncover the truth behind Celeste King's death, unraveling tragic and disturbing secrets along the way.
Desert Wind
When Lena Jones's partner Jimmy Sisiwan is arrested in Walapai Flats, a remote northern Arizona town, Lena rushes to his aid. The town is in turmoil over a new uranium mine near the Grand Canyon.
Jimmy's sister-in-law, an anti-mining activist, has been murdered, while Ike Donohue, the mine's PR representative, is also found dead. Suspicion falls on Jimmy and his family.
While investigating, Lena uncovers a community devastated by dangerous mining practices and a connection to John Wayne and the tragic deaths during the filming of "The Conqueror" in 1953.
Gabe Boone, a survivor from the film, is reluctant to share information except with John Wayne's ghost.
Lena must gain Gabe's trust to uncover the decades-old tragedy haunting Walapai Flats. As Lena digs into the town's history, she discovers that past crimes continue to claim lives, shedding light on real-life crimes that high-ranking officials are determined to keep buried.
Desert Rage
Juliana Thorsson, a fiercely ambitious U.S. Senatorial candidate, seeks Private Investigator Lena Jones's help after a prominent doctor, his wife, and their son are brutally murdered in Scottsdale.
The couple's daughter, Alison, and her boyfriend, Kyle, have confessed to the crime. Thorsson, believing Alison might be her biological daughter, reveals this secret to Lena in a bid for help.
But Thorsson's revelations don't stop there. She also shares another scandalous secret that could jeopardize her political career. Suspecting that Alison's family harbored secrets of their own, Lena agrees to investigate.
However, delving into the family's past puts Lena's own life at risk, as she defends the teenagers and uncovers dangerous truths.
Desert Vengeance
When the man who sexually assaulted Scottsdale PI Lena Jones during her foster childhood is released from prison, Lena confronts him, but he escapes unharmed. The next day, his wife, complicit in his crimes, is found dead.
Fearing for his life, the assailant flees to Black Canyon City, where he's later discovered tortured to death. Suspicion falls on Lena, who admits to considering revenge but insists she's innocent.
As Lena investigates to protect a mother wrongly accused, she grapples with the morality of seeking justice for a serial child abuser.
Her investigative efforts are derailed by a local group, Parents of Missing Children, raising questions about their motives and how far they'll go to stop her.
Desert Redemption
Raised in abusive foster care, Lena still doesn't know her real name or the identity of her parents, suspecting they may have been part of a cult.
When Chelsea, the ex-wife of Lena's friend Harold Slow Horse, joins a "new thought" group called Kanati, Lena's suspicions are piqued and she begins to investigate.
She discovers two nearby communes: EarthWay, promoting a strict diet, and Kanati, indulging in lavish French cuisine. During a ride across the Pima Indian Reservation, Lena finds a woman's emaciated body resembling both commune's members.
As Lena probes, memories resurface of her brother’s and father’s murder by a cult leader named Abraham who had since vanished. She wonders if EarthWay or Kanati are connected to that night and her mother who had disappeared the same time as Abraham.
Lena's quest for answers unfolds in "Desert Redemption," the gripping finale of the Lena Jones series.
Featured image: Dulcey Lima / Unsplash
